Blue Flame
by Catney
Summary: A young Azula has a conversation with her older cousin Lu Ten that starts with what her name actually means.


_Author's Note: I apologize if Azula seems OC at any point. I just figure she's not as evil when she was much younger. Also I was inspired by my own family relationships to write this with her and Lu Ten. I'm guessing at Lu Ten's age from the one time you see him. Enjoy the drabble even if it's a bit long._

**Blue Flame**

**By Catney**

"Hey, Blue!" Lu Ten approached the little girl throwing rocks at the turtle duck.

"Don't call me Blue!" Azula glared at her older cousin. She was five years and he was almost twenty. After he came back from his recent training with the Crones at the Fire Temple, he always called her that when they were alone. Though she liked her older cousin, she might changed her mind if he didn't use her real name.

"Why not? It's your name!" Lu Ten grinned as he sat at the edge of the pond next to her. The five year old glared at him.

"No it's not," she threw another rock and hit large turtle duck.

"But that's what Azula mean. You're little blue girl."

"Liar!" Azula was so mad her fist burst into flames as she hit her cousin. His shirt burned where she struck. She didn't want to be called Blue. It was the color that belonged to an enemy nation. She didn't want anything to do with an enemy nation. Her parents would never name her after a color that represented a weak barbaric people. Though she burnt his arms, the burns were hardly anything serious. He received much worse when training and didn't flinch. So he laughed at her little outburst.

Laughing at her only made Azula angrier.

"Stop laughing or I'll burn off your hair next! My name doesn't mean blue!"

"Why are you so mad? Blue is the scariest color of fire," Lu Ten laughed.

"Fire's not blue. It's red!" Azula glared at him.

"It can be blue, I swear," Lu Ten's face became serious. "I'll show you."

Lu Ten held out his hand and created a flame in the center of his palm. He concentrated intensely to increase the flame's heat. As he did, Azula stared intently at the center of the flame. Soon she saw the center of the flame turn into a piercing dark blue. Then the color spread throughout the flame until the center was a painfully bright white, the rest of the flame was as a frighteningly light blue. Azula was completely astonished at the sight of the flame. She reached out to touch it, but Lu Ten released the flame and it died out without his power to feed it.

Still amazed, Azula grabbed his hand as if that would bring back the flame.

"Do it again!" Azula shook his hand wildly and looked up at him anxiously. She wanted to see the blue flame again. It was so beautiful and she wanted to feel the intense heat that it gave.

"Give me a minute to catch my breath," Lu Ten breathed heavily as if he had just ran. "It's hard to get blue fire let alone keep it up. I'm not that strong."

"I wanna make it!" Azula cried out. She summoned her own flame but she couldn't get the blue flame. All she could do was see the center of the flame turn blue but just barely. Fustrated and furious, she threw the ball of fire into the pond. Several turtle ducks barely got out of the way without a few burnt feathers. She tried a couple more times but the same results. Azula turned to her cousin and pulled insistently at his arms.

"Show me, how!" she stamped her foot.

"Don't get mad. I know that one day you will handle Pele's flame."

"Agni's sister?"

"Agni's champion and fiercest warrior. Pele may have been the little sister but she protected them both when they were young. She always wielded blue fire and lightning. Only a few dedicated fire masters can wield her flame."

""Who can make blue fire?" Azula asked.

"My father, a few of the Fire Masters… I know the Crones at the Fire Temple can summon blue fire. They're the ones who showed me," Lu Ten said. "Pele usually smiles upon Daughters of Fire."

Azula smirked proudly. "Then I want to learn how to use Pele's flame!"

"It takes a lot of practice to even create blue fire let alone use it like Pele did."

"I don't care! I know I can make Pele's flame," Azula's eyes shined with pure determination that outdid any fire bender.

"Why do you think you're named Azula?" he smiled and lifted her up on his shoulders. In truth, she was named after grandfather but either way the name still had reference to the color blue. What he told her next was still true ,no matter the real reason for her name. "The Crones from the temple came when you were born. The volcano ,Pele's Heart, errupted that day and they said, 'Fire will sing to her blood and if she listens she will hear the voice of Pele.'"

"Does that mean I'll use her fire?"

"I don't know, but I do know that you were meant to be a true Daughter of Pele. Whether or not you actually make blue fire is up to you. You were named Azula to honor Pele and her fire."

"Make it again. ….please?" As Azula said please, Lu Ten knew she would dedicate herself to reach the level of the Crones. The young girl rarely said please, even to her older cousin who she cared for. So for her, he concentrated his strength into his free hand as he held onto her with the other. The blue flame appeared again and he held it for as long as he could just so she could admire it for as long as possible.

Azula promised herself that she would become like the warrior Pele was and wield that beautiful blue flame.


End file.
